Income Tax Rates

When raising money, usually investors will demand their equity distribution in an SEC approved format like a Private Placement Memorandum, also known as a PPM or offering memorandum. This structure makes use of one of the three Regulation D exemptions stemming from the Securities Act of'33.

The 3 powerful exemptions are Reg D (Regulation D) exemption Rule 504, Rule 505 and Rule 506. These rules carry different criteria that help businesses raise equity funding without all the stringent legalities of a public offering. These rules are defined like this: Rule 506 provides an exemption for limited offers and sales without regard to the dollar amount of the offering.

This exemption does not limit the number of accredited investors, but the number of non-accredited investors may not exceed 35 investors. (An accredited investor is any one investor with a certain net worth and or experience in the purchase of stocks.) All non-accredited purchasers, either alone or together with a designated representative must be sophisticated enough (i.e., have the knowledge and experience necessary) to evaluate the merits and risks of the investment. (An offering company typically determines the sophistication of its investors with a questionnaire subscription agreement.)

Rule 506 requires detailed disclosure of relevant information to potential investors; the extent of disclosure depends on the dollar size of the offering. Rule 505 offerings may not exceed $5 million, less the total dollar amount of securities sold during the preceding 12 month period under Rule 504, Rule 505 or Section 3 of the act. This exemption limits the number of non-accredited investors to 35 but has no investor sophistication standards. Rule 505 requires disclosure similar to that required for Rule 506 offerings, under $7.5 million.

Regulation D Rule 504 offerings allow a company to raise a maximum of $1 million in funding, less the total dollar amount of securities sold during the preceding 12 month period, under Rule 504, Rule 505 or Section 3 of the act. However, a business can raise only $500,000 by the sale of securities to persons residing in the states of Montana and Alaska, which have no disclosure laws applicable to the offering. For states that do have disclosure laws, which are 48 out of the 50 states, a business can raise up to $1,000,000. Rule 504 has no prescribed disclosure requirements, no limit on the number of purchasers, and no investor sophistication standards. So if you're trying to raise capital using a Private Placement Memorandum, use the above criteria as a cliff-note and as long as you stay within SEC guidelines, fund raising for your company will be simple.